Newbie @ 30BaD with some questions

Hello everyone my name is Jamie, and I just (finally) decided to sign up here at 30bad. I've been interested in raw foods for a few years now, I was even 99% raw for almost 6 months, however money troubles popped up and I decided to go back to cooked food and not be homeless. Well lets skip to now and I want to go back to raw foods, but I've still got some concerns.

I see many people comment on this, but my main concern is money. I will admit that we are on food stamps (snap) and there really isn't another form of income we can get. My husband works full time, and I have a mass of health issues, including 3 confirmed and possible more ruptured discs in my lower back. I have 300 bucks to support 2 and sometimes 3 people food-wise each month. Assuming its 2 people that's 150 a month or 5 dollars a day for food.

My second concern is health and lack of exercise ability. I try very hard not to make excuses as to why I cannot exercise, however with 3 ruptured discs, shoulder problems, asthma, and other issues, I find it hard to go jog, or do the typical exercises. I will say though, I DO NOT have a car, so I walk a lot, I can walk 6 or more miles a day, especially when its time to go to the store. My concern is that loosing so much weight so quickly, without the ability to go run for 30 or more minutes or do higher impact exercise will leave me with a MASSIVE amount of loose skin. I am 5'7 and 245lbs. (although I have lost 50lbs this year and don't seem to have massive amounts of loose skin, It might be because I did calorie restriction to lose all the weight, I'm not sure)

third, If I eat a lot of bananas (which I enjoy fyi) I know I'll keep my budget down, and throwing in dates or something here and there but I am mildly concerned about my other nutrients, I try not to focus on the numbers, but I just can't help it.

forth: this might sound silly, but every time I decide to get healthy, if its not money troubles, its social problems. I really don't have any friends to speak of but my husband is my best blessing and worst curse, he will derail any diet I do. (hes 180lbs and 6'2 which is normal but he doesn't look healthy) Plus holidays come up and I'm forced to go to his family's place, which I completely detest (I have my reasons, such as them trying to kill me, multiple times) Just any advice?

Wow that was a lot longer than I thought, I'm actually re-reading 801010 book, I never read it completely the first time, I got sorta lost when we moved, but I rediscovered it, so its my entertainment tonight, just something is screaming at me NOW IS TIME! ^.^ oh and Hi!

(not trying to be negative, just sometimes you need to get it all out)

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Permalink Reply by FaylinaMeir on November 29, 2011 at 9:52am

Just went and bought 75lbs (34kg) of bananas, 8lbs oranges, 2lbs grapes, celery, kiwi, apples, and i already have 10lbs of dates in the freezer that i bought last season and froze myself. I have no clue how long this will last me but my husband already thinks I've lost my sanity ^.^ cost me about 50 bucks, although I don't think I can eat that many nanas in a week...

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Permalink Reply by ♥ Love ♥ on November 29, 2011 at 10:37am

YAY!!!! $50.00! Awesome :) Gotta love those first fruit shops.... and all the looks you get.

Every time I buy boxes of bananas someone always mentions "that's a lot of bananas" or... "what do you need all of those for?" ... I usually say I have a pet monkey :)

Just tell your husband you've gone bananas... ;)

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Permalink Reply by FaylinaMeir on November 29, 2011 at 10:51am

LOL I did tell my husband I went bananas, its so funny you said that! ^.^

I actually went shopping at Wal-mart, I figured it was better to get cheap conventionally grown bananas than get like 1/5th the amount at whole foods that are organic. And oh my gosh, the stares I got! LOL I used to buy 30kg of bananas every two weeks at sams club and I remember how weird people are. Oh and some of the people who work there came up to me and were like "oh wow that's a lot of bananas, you can't seriously eat all those" so I responded with "yeah I will" then they decided to go on about how bananas make their stomachs hurt, too much gas, and they'd rather have banana bread... I just kinda stared blankly at her =\

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Permalink Reply by ♥ Love ♥ on November 29, 2011 at 10:33am

Hi Jamie!! Welcome to the fruitty community :) I am happy you decided to take the step and regain control over your health! You will be so pleased with yourself and the diet in no time... I'm so proud of you!

Onto your questions....

I understand the money issue. Believe me. I've been living on frozen bananas and steamed rice just to make things "go further" until I have the funds to do a "big shop" again. Sometimes it's hard. With this lifestyle, unless we live in Hawaii and our backyard is full of free fruit trees... we have to accept the fact that sometimes we can't afford to be "purists". Sometimes we have to eat cooked cheap carbs like yams, potatoes, squashes, and rice... just to get by. I think that without this acceptance and the ability to adapt to the current situation, is where "failing" raw can occur. Just go with the flow! Roll with the punches! Most importantly, try not to worry so much :)
Don't worry about the exercise factor just yet. You walk a lot already, which is good for now. If you try to jump feet first into too many aspects of the diet at once... you can get overwhelmed and lost. For now, focus on food and mindset. Later on, when your body has begun to heal and you feel stronger and more able.... then, and only then, add in more physical activity. You need to listen to your body... pushing yourself to workout with ruptured discs and asthma (i understand this one!) can make these problems worse. Slow it down... there's no need to rush, it's not a race. It doesn't matter when you get there, as long as you're going in the right direction.... :)
I can not help with the loose skin question, although... I'm sure someone else will pitch in :)
Don't worry about your nutrient intake. The only thing to "calculate" or "monitor" is your caloric intake. Ensure you are getting enough calories in, always!!!!!! As long as you consume a variety of foods throughout the YEAR, as opposed to daily/weekly, all will be fine.
His family tried to kill you? Seriously?
Social aspect... you have this community :) You have us! We have you :) Your husband/friends/holidays don't derail your diets. You do. The only person in control of what goes into your mouth, is you. So take that control into your hands, embrace it... and run with it!!! Don't let food control you or your emotions anymore. Holiday party full of cakes and crap.... so what? Your name isn't written on them. You are not destined to consume them. No body is going to fall off the face of the planet if you don't eat it. Give yourself a break! You deserve a beautiful and healthy life full of beautiful and healthy food. You're strong, you're able, and you are clearly willing. Just do it. And don't forget to breathe ;)

Oh and hi back!! ^.^

Here's some more info for noobs:

http://www.30bananasaday.com/notes/Frequently_Asked_Questions

http://www.30bananasaday.com/profiles/blogs/30bad-banana-wagon-tour

http://www.30bananasaday.com/notes/This_is_how_we_do_things_here_on...

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Permalink Reply by FaylinaMeir on November 29, 2011 at 10:54am

yeah I'm VERY allergic to mushrooms, and my inlaw side of the family knows this very well, so no matter what she makes she'll put mushrooms in it, she even tried to put mushroom powder into soup so I wouldn't notice but I can pretty much smell them in anything now, I had to aquire that skill. Oh and my father-in-law hates me and tried to attack me on xmas even 7 years ago, threatening to kill me and my husband had to jump inbetween us. So yeah, family for me is an awkward subject, and I never eat at other peoples houses because im terrified to. Plus my brother in law did the same thing last year at christmas, I ended up walking to mcdonalds 3 miles down the street and getting a salad