This will be the ultimate test of inner strength and desire to succeed. I’ve spent too much time feeling awful about myself. Things need to change. This is the very first post. This is where I will address all of the aspects of this year of eating only raw foods. But it won’t just be about food. I will also need to re-program the way I think and how I relax and socialize…basically every aspect of my life will need adjustments. Up until now, I would come home from work, walk downtown and find a place to eat dinner. The usuals: falafel, sushi or a burrito. I’d come home and kick back with a beer and watch a movie.
I want to challenge myself further mentally. I don’t want to watch any TV. I want to see how I can find time in my life to do other things that are stimulating and enjoyable. More photography perhaps. Read the books that I’ve always wanted to read but convinced myself I didn’t have time to. Find new and creative ways to prepare food in an appealing way that excites me.
My socialize life will indefinitely be altered. I will no longer waste time with men or friends that I don’t care for. I won’t be dating and I will associate myself with more like-minded people. I will not be pressured to do something I don’t want to do.
I will also implement a physical exercise routine when I come back from my vacation in June. I will still be running everyday up until then and beyond. I won’t be burning time just to burn time. I want to reach a higher level of conscious awareness in order to find a deeper joy and passion for life. I will find contentment in physical activity, delicious whole foods and my thoughts.
This will be the biggest challenge of my life so far. When I do things, I am all or nothing. I can’t go halfway or make just an attempt. I’ve got so much to talk about. I am going to be completely honest in my thoughts and emotions. Partly because I want to look back and know I succeeded. And to remind me why I am doing this when I start to get frustrated and lose sight of my goals.
1 year is a long time. The way I see, no one is going to hold a gun to my head and tell me to eat cooked foods. The longest I’ve ever eaten raw was 2 weeks. I have decided to go for a year because from the research I have done, the benefits of eating raw only begin to emerge after a couple of months of eating raw. I can’t start and then give up just when the detox phase is ending.
My diet will consist of fruits and vegetables in their natural state only. I will not drink alcohol. I will not be taking any supplments, vitamins or pills. I may take B12 tablets depending on how I am feeling. Nothing can be heated, processed or altered. To read more about eating this way, please check out the Why Raw? page.
I would like for this challenge to make me more athletic and muscular. The end result being the Gold Coast Marathon 2013 in Australia. This is something I have always wanted to do! I cannot think of a more fabulous life changing goal!
Right now, I feel fat. Just fat. I’ve stayed consistently at 155lbs for years. But I’ve got all this fat around my stomach area, I really can’t stand it. So what do I need to do? Something about it. My skin is okay, not great. Could be better. I get into really bad anxiety / OCD fits and I am hoping I can find a way to prevent and deal with them. My sleep is not bad. I’ve been waking up consistently at 7 AM each morning with the alarm clock. I like to go to bed around 10 or 11. Only needing 5 hours of sleep would be ideal. I feel sluggish and tired a lot of the time. I can run 3 miles fairly easily, but I know I am far from being fit. I’d like to gain muscles in my arms and leave behind the layer of backfat. I would like to eventually ease into somewhere around 130, which I feel would be ideal. I would also like to experience a high level of mental clarity.
That said, you can expect me to be completely honest and forthcoming in my feelings about all of this. I know I am going to be frustrated and want to quit. I might even miss out on doing things but I am determined to fully integrate this lifestyle into my modern world. I KNOW it will be worth it.
