Orange and Cucumber 10 Day Challenge! A dynamic Duo!

I've read about the positive experiences that people have had eating only one type of fruit for an extended period of time. I haven't ever tried it myself, and now feel I want to give it a shot.

Over the last 5 weeks I've been running a lot less than usual. I had to cut back on my running for a few reasons:

I came down with a bad virus after running 296 miles in 8 days and sleeping very little. This side tracked me for almost 2 weeks.

Then I got kinda lazy getting back into my regular running routine to be honest (yea, it can happen!)

Hence I've put on about 4-5lbs of fat over my peak running weight. I want to get back in top form to run a few more marathons and ultra marathons before the end of this year. So it's time to try this 'duo diet' for a while.

I am a big fan of high water content fruits. I've experience my best running and physical performances when I am eating primarily citrus (oranges mainly). I never really get sick of oranges - especially the Valencia's that I am getting now. So I figured my fruit of choice would be fantastic organic Valencia oranges.

But I also want to have a 2ndary option for the times when I just can't eat another orange, which I'm sure will happen many times over a 10 day period.

I thought about the option of celery, but I feel it's a bit harder to digest and too 'tough' if I was going to be eating a ton of it. I also considered Asian pears, as they are extremely juicy and 'light'. Watermelon was another thought. But I've decided that pealed cucumbers and then taking out the seeds and just eating the crunchy part would be ideal in my mind.

So I'm starting Friday October 22nd, and having the goal of 10 days, just eating oranges and cucumbers. (The reason I'm starting October 22nd is because I have to eat all the other food in my house!)

I will continue to do my regular run training. I have no plans of changing my lifestyle at all during this time. I expect to eat at least a case of oranges and 10-15lbs of cucumbers per day. I also expect to drop about 1/4 to 1/2 a lb a day of fat (I'm currently at about 124 and expect to get to 118 which is my ideal race weight).

I will not be counting calories and have no plans to focus on eating less, rather I plan to eat an insane amount of oranges as my primary calories. Yet I know from experience that I will drop body fat for sure no matter how many citrus calories I take in.

Anyone interested in joining in? We can keep each other motivated and see what it's like to try something new!

***If you plan on joining in on this 10 day adventure with me please post below. If you're not on board please refrain from commenting so we can keep the thread communications and experiences only for the people on board. Yet, if you have done a challenge like this and want to offer some supportive comments/experience then please do post.

Thank you.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by sugar nutrition on October 18, 2010 at 7:47am

been wanting to do an orange mono for a while. Going to buy a 50 lb case of organic "flying hawk" valencia oranges at 2.60 per lb today or tomorrow. How many lbs or oranges are in the case your planing to eat daily and how much are you paying?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael on October 18, 2010 at 9:06am

I get 40lb cases, so considering I'll easily go through a case a day and my wife is also trying this 10 day thing with me, I'm looking at getting 15-20cases plus lots of cucumbers. Party time! LOL I'll probably juice half of the oranges I eat each day and eat the other half.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael on October 18, 2010 at 9:07am

I never count calories, I just eat all day or until I'm full, kinda like what animals do in nature.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chelsie on October 18, 2010 at 9:56am

THANK YOU! why the heck would i ever want to count another freakin calorie after years of abuse with food and obsessing about counting every single calorie only to binge later because im not listening to my body and im freakin STARVING. so, thanks michael :) its nice to hear that you dont count calories.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by DURIANRIDER on October 18, 2010 at 5:09pm

How long you been 100%? If you want to stay raw longer than a few weeks/months counting calories will be something you have to do at some stage of the game. I don't know any long termers that don't know the basic calories in their meals. Binge later? Exactly, you aren't eating enough fruit calories because your not counting calories.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by fruit loves me on October 19, 2010 at 6:24am

I don't know Harley - I think for many people counting calories encourages them to eat less. That's how it worked for me for a long time. I counted calories, be in the 2800 range and freak out and want to eat less. It wasn't until I stopped counting that I ate more. Now my test is I looked at some cooked food in my kitchen, if it looks at all appealing, I eat. This works much better for me. (Although your method may work better for others - to each their fruity own.)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ashley Hamilton on October 19, 2010 at 11:03am

Wow, well it's awesome that you were eating 2800 cals without even trying! For many people, especially people who are new to lfrv, it is hard to eat enough.... it is something that took me MONTHS to learn when i first went raw - because i was so used to dense foods and had to eat heaps more water rich fruit to equal the same amount of cooked calories (my stomach had to learn to expand to eat that much food!)

I think it is important for anyone relatively new to raw to count calories if they want to do this diet long term and not crash. Once the person becomes familar with how much food is enough, then its not as important. But until the point where you know roughly how many calories your meals are without trying, its important to count calories to eat enough, in my opinion.

People always say that they don't believe in calories.... i mean, okay, whatever, but whatever the case, its definitely a good tool to use to make sure you are eating enough food to have enough energy.

Even now, after being raw for 2.5 years, i count calories every so often to make sure im still on the right track, especially when I'm exercising. When i eat more fruit, i can exercise for longer and be super psyched all day, every day.

Counting cals every so often is worth it to stay on the right path.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TheBananaGirl on October 19, 2010 at 12:59pm

Excellent advice Ashley, I couldn't agree more and its great coming from someone with your level of experience. 100% for 2.5years! Fantastic!
Newbies tend to underestimate the importance of counting cals...that's until they run into cooked food again.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael on October 19, 2010 at 1:26pm

One thing/principle that I like to keep in my daily routine is NOT having meals.
Rather, I graze all friggin day long. Basically if I'm not exercising or sleeping I'm eating pretty much all the time, casually of course, not wolfing down food or over stuffing myself like I used to do when I had meals. I didn't like eating until I was going to pop, or trying to cram in calories to get to what I think I needed for the day.

So if I am eating/grazing all day long I'm pretty much never going to 'not' get enough calories. In nature animals graze/eat all day long. Meals is something left over from socialization and cooked food traditions. I'm not saying you can't sit and have a shared fruit with someone, but these giant stuffing and massive calorie 'meal's I don't think are ideal.

Being that I try to just eat high water content foods, grazing all day works really well so I never under eat.

Don't ask me how many times I pee in a day! lol

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by fruit loves me on October 19, 2010 at 1:29pm

I know--- grazing is totally the answer! And I got up to pee 3 times in the night last night.... I was so proud of myself, haha.

Permalink Reply by todd on October 19, 2010 at 1:43pm

Wow first time I've read of anyone who grazes on this diet.. How long have you been doing this? Makes sense to me if you're all high water content and at your level of of calorie needs... I would assume you have no digestive issues with your supercharged metabolism... Better digestion is the main reason DG recommends 2 or 3 meals, right?

Permalink Reply by Ashley Hamilton on October 20, 2010 at 8:42am

Right on, Michael. I tend to go back and forth from grazing and eating meals. But i'm looking forward to your vid!