The Final Countdown!!

Mummy asked for a FULL review/analysis for the final day of this raw vegan diet trial... so here it is!

I totally understand why people eat this way for a living. You lose weight, you feel good, the food is nourishing, etc. Could I technically continue on this forever? If I wanted to become a hermit, yes. But the outside world is completely against this type of lifestyle. You can't find anything at restaurants, you can't visit friends and share a meal... It just can't work.

But I do intend to incorporate a lot of raw foods into my life. I'd like to eat a lot more vegan and vegetarian cooked items and see how I feel then. I just know that I don't want this feeling to go away, I don't want the cramped and bloated feelings that I had before, and I don't want to put the weight back on.

I've had food cravings (I dream about eating a filet from work and Quaker Steak's wings), but for the most part I enjoy what I'm eating and I feel good after I've eaten. And they're not really cravings like I've had before when I feel like I *NEED* to have Chipotle for dinner... they're more like visions where I think to myself, "Gosh, I remember eating that, how good it was, and I can almost FEEL the cheese ozzing from it, etc." and I can envision myself eating it, but I don't feel like I *NEED* it at that moment like before.

That said, I have had serious cravings for natural sugars a couple of times a week. We'll eat dinner, go about our evening and suddenly I have an uncontrollable urge to go to the kitchen and find something sweet. And I always let myself do it - I'll eat a handful of dates, I'll dip my finger into some raw sugar, I'll mix up some type of sweet recipe, I'll seriously consider drinking maple syrup, etc. I was not a huge sweets eater before, but the urge for a natural sugar has been almost uncontrollable on a few occasions. But then I get my sugar and then it's like I'm cured.

I haven't denied myself anything this entire month. I eat until I'm full. When I'm hungry, I snack. If I want a second pickle I don't think about my salt intake - I just eat it. I did not want this diet to be about denial in any way, shape or form.

To anyone who hasn't tried this, it probably just sounds crazy... and inside you're thinking that I've been starving, that I've been missing some sort of essential nutrients, blah blah blah... But I'd like to think that I know my body better than you can assume you know it. I don't think I'm missing anything.

This diet has consumed much of my time and attention for the past month - but I don't know if it's because it's actually the diet was really that time consuming or if it's just my personality to absorb a topic and only focus/talk about one thing. I lean toward thinking it's just me. So forgive me if this is all that I've talked about or if we've been unable to have a conversation without me bringing it up. I'm insane, you know I'm insane... so I'm glad that you understand and still choose to have me in your life.

I've had this stupid cold for 2 weeks and I still cough a little, but my digestive tract has never felt so good. My skin looks good, I feel great relief when I go to the restroom (not to gross you out, but mom asked that I include this information). Seriously, if you have any issues going to the restroom, try the flax seed breakfast cakes that I posted yesterday. A couple of days of those for breakfast and you'll be SMOOTH SAILING! Awesome! I've only had a few bouts of bloating/gas. Before this diet I'd venture to guess that I would feel bloated after 5-6 meals a week, but now it's probably down to once a week, if that.

The final count is that I've lost about 12-13 lbs., which if I'm calculating correctly was about 9% of my overall body weight. I feel amazing because this time the weight loss was very different. Usually when I go on a diet and lose weight, I lose it off of my stomach and face right away. Then I totally lose my chest, then a little on the arms, and I never really seem to lose it on my hips, legs, or butt. This time it seems that it's come off of everything evenly. I don't feel like any of this weight loss has been disproportionate or unnatural. Lizzie has been jokingly calling me Karen Carpenter which I think is funny, but I really don't feel like it's true. I don't think that I look unhealthy at all - weight loss and all, I really feel like I look the best that I've looked... gosh, probably since my freshman year in college, but maybe it's the best I've looked and felt ever.

Probably sounds like I'm bragging, but I can't help it. Mummy asked for a honest, detailed analysis, and this is it. This was a great 30 day trial and I do recommend it to others. You will feel great, you will lose weight, you will learn about food and "uncooking," you will feel nourished by your food, and yes - you might even learn a thing or two about yourself.